Regenerative Fuel Cell

In a regenerative system a fuel cell and an electrolyzer are combined to both produce and consume stored hydrogen, and optionally oxygen. When a renewable source, such as wind or solar, is connected to the electrolyzer the input power is used to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen is then stored within the system and consumed in the fuel cell to produce power when the renewable source is unavailable. This combined process can also be advantageous for traditional grid energy storage, stand-alone remote applications, and High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft.

Regenerative PEM Fuel Cell Process

When combining electrolysis and fuel cell modes within the same system the PEM process becomes regenerative. Adding renewable power input to the electrolysis process makes the entire system sustainable.